Once Loved
by jEnA-gHeRL
Summary: Harry's gone. Ron's dead. Hermione's alive. See how Hermione is holding up and what she comes across. New friends come.


A/n: Okay well sorry for the delay but this chapter had to be perfect since it is the first. Remember that there are two authors to this story. Both very busy but able to write you guys this GREAT story! LOL!

_Harry and Hermione stepped out into the harsh winds of Hogsmeade, as heads they were allowed to venture into the neighbouring village as a treat. They had been through a treacherous sixth year together, watching side by side as they lost loved ones, as they battled on the fields of Hogwarts, as Voldermort got away once again. They were all each other had left, Ron had been taken from them by the cruel hands of wormtail and the golden trio was no more._

_After the first of many battles had ended, Hermione and Harry had been made junior auroras as a thank you for their bravery in the first battle. The two of them were becoming stronger and stronger as the days grew on._

_Not only were their powers growing, but the pairs Friendship. After the loss of Ron, the two of them had found a safety in each other, a safety that neither could explain._

_As they stepped out of the restaurant Hermione pulled her cloak tighter around her. The harsh winds still pinched at her cheeks. Harry knew that their was something was wrong and seemed very strange. The street lights that paved the streets were out and the streets were deathly silent. _

_"Harry?" Hermione whispered. "What's going on?" _

_"I dunno, maybe there is a storm coming" Harry replied back._

_Hermione linked her arm through Harry's and they walked in silence through the still streets. Very distinctively behind them, they both heard several loud cracks. Both of them, almost as an instinct, whipped around with their wands out and ready. However, no one was there, nothing was there except an old stray cat wondering about the streets. The pairs breathing was hard and fast and still idle with their wands out. Two words kept sounding in Harry's mind CONSTANT VIGILANCE. _

_"Who's there?" Hermione cried out. _

_Her voice was clear but a little shaky. Hermione stepped forward casting a once over glance down the street. Once satisfied that there was nobody around she turned to face Harry. He smiled at her and before she even got a chance to smile back, Harry's smile faded. His eyes darkened and a horror struck expression appeared. Hermione turned around swiftly to face a dark hooded creature. Neither of them had the chance to think before the creature had hissed those dreaded two words._

_"AVADA KEDAVRA!" _

_Harry's worst fear was being done, he was about to lose another best friend, his confidant, his sister. Before the green sparks had left the wand, Harry, on instinct, leapt in front of Hermione. The killing curse hit Harry square in the back. He fell to the cold ground. Hermione watched the person dissapperated and then reality hit her. With no words spoken, her body crumpled down next to his, she pulled his head into her lap and stoked his hair from his forehead._

_"Harry?" she whispered to him softly._

_No answer. _

''_No, Harry? Please wake up. Stop it. Please. Wake up.''_

_Her voice was chocking and the tears began to flow. _

_She had lost another best friend_

_She was the only one left._

"HARRY!" Hermione shrieked as she sat up in what she thought was her bed.

Sweat was sticking all over her body and to the cold white sheets beneath her. Her breathing was rough and ragged. Her eyes began to focus to her surroundings.

Instead of seeing her luxurious head girl room she saw a very panicked Madame Pomphrey heading her way. Hermione looked around and instantly recognized this place as the medical wing, where she spent time here when Harry gotten injured in their earlier years at Hogwarts.

"Hermione, dear, what seems to be the problem?"

"Harry, where is he?" Hermione asked briskly. It couldn't be true. She wasn't going to allow it to be.

A sad frown washed over Madame Pomphrey's face. She looked to the floor and then looked back to Hermione. Tears had already formed in her eyes as she started to explain. She opened her mouth a few times but words never came out.

"I'm afraid Hermione, that, Mr. Potter is no longer with us" she sad uneasily.

She couldn't look the young girl in the face. How could she? He had watched the trials and tribulations that she, Harry and Ron had gone through every year. She knew that this was going to crush the young girl. She had already lost Ron, now losing Harry?

Hermione opened her mouth but the tears beat her to it. Tears streamed down her face and she buried her face into her hands. Her dream was in fact real. Her worst nightmare had just become reality. After moments of silence and tears, Hermione finally spoke up.

"He's here. He has to be. He isn't gone!" Hermione insisted as she threw the covers over the side of the bed and stood up.

"Hermione-" Madame Pomphrey started but was unable to finish since Hermione ran out of the hospital wing in a hurry. She was trying to convince her mind that it was all a dream, all one horrible nightmare and that Harry was just around the next corner.

Hermione fled down the corridors in hope of spotting Harry. She raced up to their Head Boy and Girl rooms to see if he was there. She mumbled the password and entered Harry's side through the bathroom. It was empty. She frantically looked around, calling his name a few times but there was no response. She left the room in a hurry and headed towards the Dining Hall. He was at breakfast, sitting with Ron and they were talking about Quidditch _again._ She entered the filled room with nothing on her feet and a dingy grey hospital gown. Every single student seemed to be there eating their dinners silently. Their was defiantly an air of misery in the atmosphere. Her tear stained face looked up towards the Teacher's table where almost every single teach had a depressed look upon their faces. Even the usually happy Professor Dumbledore looked as if he was crying earlier. Harry was really gone.

"NO!" Hermione screamed.

''It's not true! P-p-please tell me I-I-It's not true!'' She looked Dumbledore straight in the face but, neither of his usual twinkling eyes could meet hers.

''No! I can't lose the both of them! Please!''

She collapsed to the ground in tears banging her fists on the ground like an angry child. Every single student seemed to notice her. Every Gryffindor felt her pain. Every Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw's hearts went out to the hysterical girl. Even the Slytherin's felt _some_ sympathy towards her. Yet, none of them could bring themselves to comfort her. Ginny left the Gryffindor table towards the crying Hermione. She kneeled down besides her and rested a hand on Hermione's back. Dark rings circled Ginny's eyes as she bent down even closer to Hermione.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry" Ginny mumbled into Hermione's ear softly.

Hermione didn't answer. Ginny managed to sit Hermione up and face her. Hermione's face was red from crying. Hermione noticed Ginny didn't look too good either. She pulled Ginny in for a hug as she cried into her shoulder. They clung to each other for dear life. When Ginny pulled out of their extremely long hug, they both noticed the Dining Hall was empty.

"Do you want to talk?" Ginny asked.

Hermione just simply nodded and they walked up to Hermione's room in silence. Hermione dragged herself to a chair in front of the fireplace and stared deeply into the fire. A long time passed before either of them exchanged words until Ginny broke the silence.

"You were out for a few days" she said.

"Oh?" Hermione replied.

"Yeah..."

"What happened?" Hermione demanded.

"A witness reported to the Daily Prophet that you two had just left a restaurant after eating. A hooded figure, believed to be Voldemort, attacked you with the killing curse. Then it said Harry jumped in front of you and saved your life. Voldemort got away and you fainted I guess from all that had just happened" Ginny replied.

Hermione, who was saddened by the information she just soaked up, couldn't find the words to say.

"It-It-wasn't Voldemort" Hermione replied shaking her head.

"What? Who was it then?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not sure but it wasn't him" Hermione replied shakily. She creased her brow in frustration.

"Are you going to be okay? I'm worried about you. Everyone was." Ginny said.

"I'm fine. Just tell everyone not to worry about me" Hermione replied. "I'm going to try and get some rest."

"Alright. I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow"

"Y-Y-Yeah"

Ginny left the room and was faced with a bunch of Gryffindor girls bombarding her with questions about Hermione. They look as if they had been waiting for Ginny the whole time she was talking with Hermione.

"She doesn't look good but she doesn't want anyone to worry about her" was all Ginny said as she tried to get away from all the girls still asking her questions.

Back in the head rooms, Hermione watched the space where Ginny just left.

"How did I let this happen?" Hermione asked out to no one in particular.

Hermione dragged her lifeless body to the bathroom. She caught a glimpse of her image in the mirror. She could see the dark rings form under her eyes. Her hair was tangled and messy. She turned on the tap water and rinsed her face. She wiped her face and even though it didn't make her appearance look any better, she felt slightly more clean. She went back to her bed and cried herself to sleep.

END

A/n: Sorry it was kinda short. Next chapter will be stretched. (Hopefully) Well I hope you liked it. I certainly did!


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